Zee News slashes commercial time, hikes ad rates by 40%

The decision is based on the insight that long commercial breaks disrupted news viewing, forcing people to either switch off or surf other channels

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | April 2, 2012

Zee News is set to revamp the channel's content-advertising mix by enforcing its new guideline 'Maximum News, Minimum Break' from April 2, 2012. The decision is based on the insight that long commercial breaks disrupted news viewing, forcing people to either switch off or surf other channels.

Zee News has decided to slash its commercial time by 30 per cent. The channel will now devote only eight minutes for advertisements in every half-hour slot. Besides, the channel has also decided to increase the ad rate by 40 per cent

Barun Das, CEO, Zee News, said, “I think leadership is not about running the TRP rat race. In fact, besides strong business performance, leadership is also about setting precedent and giving direction to the industry you work in. It is to Zee's credit that it has been a consistent first. Whether it was by the way of being the foremost 24x7 Hindi news channel to launch in the country or the first to take a deliberate decision to stay away from trivialised content, or even to provide break-free bulletins.”

Das added, “News television is an integral part of everyone's life and the biggest disappointment for TV news viewers is the long and frequent advertising breaks. In line with our leadership philosophy, Zee News now wants to pioneer the effort to cut commercial time so as to provide viewers a more gratifying news experience. We are cutting our inventory by 30 per cent, and would increase our rate by 40 per cent.”

In a highly competitive industry, Zee News has carved a distinct identity and established itself as a channel 'committed to news' with focus on relevant content. Respecting the intellect of the viewer is one of the key beliefs of the channel. The decision to cut down on advertising reinforces that commitment, and would result in more sensible and credible news for the audience.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com